Best Cyber Monday Netbooks of 2009, Prices Still as Low as $179

This Cyber Monday, you can get a good netbook for well under $325, with some scaled-down models going for below $200. Many of these deals remain from Black Friday. You can even get the Gateway LT2005u Netbook for just $229. Before we list our favorite current deals, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

• Battery Capacity: If battery life is important to you (as it is to us), you should go for a unit with a 6-cell battery as it is sure to get more than 5 hours (sometimes more than 8 hours) of endurance.
• Screen Size: Some lower cost netbooks have 8.9-inch screens, rather than the standard 10.1-inch size. Not only are these more difficult to look at, but they are accompanied by smaller, less comfortable keyboards. Kids may enjoy an 8.9-inch netbook, but adults shouldn’t settle for one.
• Operating System: At this price,  you probably won’t see Windows 7 installed, but unless you’re a Linux fan, be sure to check that your system comes with Windows XP.

6-Cell Netbook Bargains These netbooks all have 6-cell batteries, which means they are likely to last a long time — maybe all day — on a single charge.

• ASUS Eee PC 1008HA for $314.99 after rebate. This super-thin netbook comes complete with a 1.66-GHz Atom N280 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and Windows XP Home. At 2.2 pounds and 1-inch thick, it’s also one of the thinnest and lightest systems on the market. Its 5 hour and 40 minute battery life isn’t as long as some of its competitors, but should be more than sufficient for most users. (Buy | Read Review)
• Gateway LT2005u Netbook for $229. Best Buy is offering this 6-cell system for a song. It includes the standrd 1.6 GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, and 10-inch screen that most mainstream netbooks have today, along with the Windows XP operating system. While we haven’t reviewed the LT2005u, its performance is probably similar to the popular Acer Aspire One AOD250, as Acer owns Gateway and many of Gateway’s past netbooks have been similar to Acer’s.
• Toshiba NB205-N210 for $319. While not as sleek as the more expensive, metal NB205, the lower cost, black plastic NB205-N210 still delivers great performance, 9.5 hours of battery life, and a comfortable keyboard, a huge touchpad. (Buy| Read Review)

3 or 4-Cell Netbook Bargains These netbooks provide solid performance, but their lower capacity batteries provide 3 hours or less of battery life.

• Acer Aspire One AOD250 is available for $254.99. The Aspire One might be the world’s most popular netbook because it’s inexpensive and just works. This unit comes with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 screen, Intel Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and Windows XP. (Buy | Read Review)
• Compaq 110c-1100DX for $179.99. Other than its 3-cell battery, it has all the standard goodies. (Buy)
• Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 is going for $299. This isn’t the best price in the bunch, but at 2.2 pounds, this netbook is one of the lightest and its also one of the thinnest. For a few bucks more, you can get it with a 6-cell battery.